Dual head stethoscope with valved



Nov. 8, 1955 J. J. TYNAN 2,722,989

DUAL. HEAD STETHOSCOFE WITH VALVED SOUND PASSAGE Filed Jan. 26, 1954 INVENTOR My M 2 2 2 ATTRNEYS United States Patent DUAL HEAD STETHOSCOPE WITH VALVED SOUND PASSAGE James J. Tynan, Stratford, Conn.; Olive D. Tynan, administratrix of said James J. Tynan, deceased, asslgnor to Robert S. Tynan, New London, Conn.

Application January 26, 1954, Serial No. 406,188

3 Claims. (Cl. 181-24) This invention relates to a stethoscope to be used by physicians in listening to the sounds of the body organs. There are two different types of Stethoscopes now commonly used, the so-called open head or bell type and the closed head or diaphragm type. Physicians usually carry both types as they consider it advisable to use diiferent ones in listening to different sounds or organs. That requires carrying two stethoscopes, with consequent obvious objections.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and compact stethoscope which embodies both the open head or bell type and the closed head or diaphragm type in one instrument, in a simple and efiective construction, and combining them in such a manner thatthe user can change quickly and easily from one type to the other.

An important object of the invention is to provide a stethoscope having the two types of listening heads in one device and having these heads offset or spaced longifudinally and located on diametrically opposite sides of the body of the device, so as to give a better and more comfortable grip for the use of both heads and to give greater and better visibility of the head being used, so as to facilitate locating it on the proper spot for listening or testing. That is, it can be located more easily and accurately on the proper spot or location to secure the most effective result.

Another object is to provide a stethoscope embodying both the diaphragm and bell type without interfering with the function of either.

A further object is to provide a construction in which the user may change quickly and easily from one type of listening head to the other type by simple and easy operation of a single control member.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of this improved type of stethoscope with the ear members and flexible connecting tube omitted;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section and partial side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the control member;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the means for retaining the control member in different positions, and

Figs. 6 and7 are side views illustrating the good visibility and the ease of the grip for use of the two listening heads.

The device comprises abody 10 provided with a longi-- tudinal passage 11 opening through its opposite ends, this passage including an enlarged portion 12 and a reduced portion 13 opening respectively through the opposite ends of the body and providing a shoulder 14 between them.

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The end through which the smaller portion passes is also counterbored as shown at 15, and the opposite end is internally threaded as shown at 16 to receive a closure and locking plug 17. The two listening heads 18 and 19 are located on diametrically opposite sides of the body, and as indicated are offset longitudinally so that they are spaced a material distance longitudinally of the body and therefore they are definitely out of alignment. The distance they are separated longitudinally of the body is sufficient so that neither one which is on the top when using the other head is in a position to hide or interfere with proper visibility of the lower head which is being used. It has been found that the preferred distance the centers of the heads are spaced longitudinally of the body is about one-half the diameter of the heads, as this gives suflicient offset or distance between them so that neither one interferes with the use of the other but permits definite goo-d visibility of the one being used, as would not otherwise be true if they were directly opposite each other. It also gives a better, firmer and more comfortable grip of the device for use of either head than would be the case where they were in alignment or directly opposite each other.

In the form of the device illustrated the head 18 is shown as the open head or bell type, while the head 19 is shown as the diaphragm or closed type of head. The head 18 involves a tapered or flared recess 20 opening through its outer end, and a sound passage 21 leading from the bottom of this recess to the enlarged portion 12 of the passage 11. The head may be secured to the body by a threaded extension or nipple 22 threaded into a tapped opening in the side of the body 10. A ring 23 is threaded to the outer side of the outer end of the head and has a flange 24 overlying the outer side of a flange 25 on the body portion 26 of the head. There is shown on the drawing a washer 27 between the two flanges, thus increasing the depth of the recess in the head. It will therefore be understood that by removing this washer or using washers of different thicknesses, the depth of the recess may be varied for different effects.

T he other head 19, as shown, is mounted on the diametrically opposite side of the body 10 and spaced longitudinally from the head 18 as previously described. It comprises a body member 28 having a threaded extension or nipple 29 by which it is secured to the body by screwing into a threaded opening in the body, the same as the other head. This head also has a flared recess 30 connected at its, inner central part by a sound passage 31 with the enlarged portion 12 of the passage in the body, and the outer or open side of this recess is closed by a thin flexible diaphragm 32 held over the recess by any suitable means such, for example, as the flange 33 on a ring 34 threaded to the outer side of the body and clamping the diaphragm between the flange 33 and the outer end of or flange 35 on the body.

Within the body 10 and in the longitudinal passage in this body is a control member 36 comprising an enlarged plunger or head portion 37 and a reduced or stem portion 38. The larger portion 37 is located in the larger portion 12 of the passage in the body and the reduced or stem portion 38 projects from the end of the body, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, where this projecting end may telescope with the end 39 of a flexible rubber tube 40 connected with the ear elements (not shown). This control member 36 is provided with a longitudinal sound passage 41 opening through the smaller end so as to communicate with the passage in the flexible tube 40, but at the opposite end of the control member it is closed. However, the plunger portion 37 is provided with two laterally extending sound passages 42 and 43 offset or spaced longitudinally of this member so as to be in a plane with, and therefore capable of being brought into alignment with, the sound passages 21 and 31 respectively leading to the flared recesses in the two listening heads 18 and 19. These two lateral openings 42 and 43, however, are on the same side of the enlarged portion 37 so that when the passage 42 is in alignment with the passage 21 leading to the recess in the head 13, and therefore when this head is in communication with the passages 41 and 40, the passage 43 is closed or out of communication with the passage 31 leading to the head 19. Also when the control member 36 is turned a half revolution from the position shown in Fig. 3, the passage 42 is out of alignment with the passage 21 and therefore communication from the recess in the head 18 to the passage 41 is closed, while the passage 43 is in alignment with the passage 31 leading to the head 19, and therefore this head is in communication with the sound passage 4-1.

Means is provided for locking this control member in either of the two positions. A simple and effective means is to provide the closed end of the member 36 with a transverse channel or groove 44, and on the inner end of the plug 17 is provided an eccentrically located lug or pin 45 adapted to seat in the channel. It will also be noted that between the larger portion 37 and the reduced portion 38 of the control member 36 is a shoulder 46, which, when the member is located in the body, is spaced from the shoulder 14 in the body and between them is a coil spring 47 tending to shift the control member 36 to the right and retain the pin or lug 45 seated in the channel 44-. On the reduced portion 38 is a sleeve 48 provided with a knurled flange 49, and the inner end of the sleeve is seated in the counterbore 15, but with the flange 49 spaced outwardly of the end of the body 10. This sleeve is secured to the member 36 by any suitable means such, for example, as a screw 50. This flange 49 of the member 48 forms a hand grip whereby the operator by merely pulling outwardly or to the left on the flange 49 may shift the control member 36 to the left so that the channel 44 is free of the lug or pin 45. This will unlock the control member 36, after which it may be turned a half revolution to bring either passage 42 or 43 into alignment with the sound passages leading to the respective listening heads, after which release of the grip 49 will permit the spring 47 to shift the control member longitudinally to the right, or inwardly as viewed in Fig. 3, to cause the locking pin or lug 45 to again seat in the transverse channel 44 and secure or lock the control member 36 in either of the two positions whereby either listening head is placed in communication with the sound passage 41, and at the same time communication of the other listening head with this passage is cut off.

The body member 10 is preferably of circular form in cross section, or, that is, substantially cylindrical, and its outer surface may be knurled or otherwise roughened as indicated at 51 to increase the grip of the fingers on the body. Similarly the outer rims 52 and 53 of the rings 23 and 34 may be knurled, as indicated, to improve the grip on these rings in changing washers 27 or diaphragms 32.

It will be understood from the above that this construction and arrangement is a very simple one, involving a minimum number of parts, and that it provides in the same construction or same instrument an open head or bell type of listening head 18 and a closed or diaphragm type head 19, and that the operator may change easily and quickly from one type of listening head to the other by merely releasing and turning the control member 36 a half revolution. Also that after turning this member it is securely locked in this position to maintain proper communication between the selected listening head and the flexible tube leading to the ear members. A particular and important advantage of the longitudinal spacing or offset of these two different heads on the body member is that when either one is being used and therefore is on the under side of the body, the other head which in this case is on the upper side of the body does not interfere with proper visibility of the lower head or the one being used, and therefore it does not interfere with the proper and accurate positioning or locating of the head being used on the proper spot for listening or testing. Another advantage is that this offset arrangement of the two heads provides a natural and effective grip of the fingers on the body in use of either head, as the thumb and middle finger, for instance, naturally grip opposite sides of the body and seat or rest in the tapered recesses between the body and the outer side of the lower head or head being placed against the skin of the patient, while the first finger is merely laid over the top of the upper head.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A stethoscope of the character described comprising an elongated body provided with a longitudinal passage opening through one end, listening heads on opposite sides of the body and offset so they are spaced longitudinally of the body, each head including a flared recess opening through its outer end, a flexible diaphragm closing the open side of one recess to form a closed head, said body being provided with lateral longitudinally spaced sound passages leading from the first passage to said recesses, a tubular control member mounted in the first passage for turning movements and projecting from the body at one end providing means for connection with an ear tube, said control member provided with a longitudinal sound passage and longitudinally spaced lateral passages extending therefrom on one side in the same transverse planes as the first lateral passages, and means for turning the control member to bring either pair of lateral passages into alignment and connect the sound passage in the control member with the recess in either head.

2. A stethoscope of the character described comprising an elongated body, listening heads located on opposite sides of the body facing in opposite directions and offset so as to be spaced longitudinally of the body, said heads provided with outwardly flared recesses opening through their outer ends, a flexible diaphragm closing the open side of one recess forming a closed head, a tubular control member extending longitudinally and mounted for relative movements in the body and provided with a longitudinal sound passage, said control member projecting from the body at one end forming means for connection with an ear tube, said control member provided with separate lateral sound passages spaced longitudinally of the body and leading from said first sound passage to the respective recesses, and means controlled by movement of the control member to render one lateral passage effective and at the same time to render the other lateral passage ineffective for transmitting sound from the respective recesses.

3. A stethoscope of the character described comprising an elongated body provided with a longitudinal passage opening through the opposite ends of the body, listening heads on opposite sides of the body ofiset so they are spaced longitudinally of the body, each head including a flared recess opening through its outer end and facing laterally outwardly from the body, a flexible diaphragm closing the open side of one recess to form a closed head, a tubular control member mounted for longitudinal sliding and turning movements in said passage and provided with a longitudinal sound passage, a plug closing the outer end of the first passage, means whereby the sound passage may be connected with the recess in either head and at the same time disconnected from the recess in the other head by turning movements of the control member, means for locking the control member in position with its passage in communication with one of the heads comprising a transverse channel in the end of the control member and an eccentrically located projection on the plug seating in said channel, oppositely facing spaced shoulders on the control member and the passage in the body, a spring between'said shoulders tending to FOREIGN PATENTS shift the control member to the locked position, and 190 653 Great Britain 28 1922 means whereby the sound passage may be connected with an ear tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,675,087 Fleischer Apr. 13, 1954 

